Winter freeze-up of swimming pools causes considerable damage from ice expansion, particularly in the region of the skimmer for the pool. A prior invention of a skimmer protector (U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,267) of one of the co-inventors of this application recognized the special need for protection within the skimmer area and provided a simple, effective, and economical means for absorbing the expansion of ice in the skimmer to prevent damage to the skimmer. In the past, the protection provided by this invention has been supplemented by the use of blow-out tubes to force compressed air through skimmer piping in order to remove all water that might freeze in the winter and crack the piping. However, there has heretofore been no practical device that provided both features.